MIA24.4
"Yes, the senior officials of the Endora Casino employ us to check out all falling space debris to make certain it isn't anything radioactive or suspicious like part of a ship trying to spy on us or make a claim to the land here. This is a highly profitable resort planet and the last thing we need is for other people to be in competition with us." "Perhaps that's what they want you to think." "You're not suggesting," Drake said, his voice trailing off as the colour drained from his face. He coughed and tried to unplug his throat. "That the officials knew that something like this might happen?" The Doctor gave him an alarmingly toothy smile just then. "Well, we won't know unless we ask them." PLINK! PLINK! PLINK! Senior CEO of the Endora Casino Vincent Spiegel loved the sound of poker chips hitting each other. That sound meant the pot was growing bigger, that there was money to be won and a little friendly humiliation to be handed out. Unfortunately, the cards weren't willing to support him and his love today. After five people folded, Spiegel threw down his head in disgust. "Fold," he forced out through clenched teeth. He hated admitting defeat. "All out of bluff for today, eh, Vincent?" said Colonel Wilkes, raking in the fifty- and one-hundred grotzi chips he had just won. Probably won it with a pair of twos, Spiegel noted sourly. "I'll win it back from you next hand, just you wait," he chuckled, flashing a smile at his friend. He picked up the cards, shuffled, and began dealing. "Five card draw, nothing wild." There was a knock at the door, and a business-suited woman entered the smoky room. "Mr. Spiegel, Sergeant Drake and some doctor wish to speak with you." "Miss Samson, I thought I told you not to interrupt my poker game unless you were going to pull up a chair and join us." "Yes, sir, but they're insisting on speaking with you." "Wilkes?" asked Spiegel. "Hmmm?" "Drake is your man. What do you make of this?" "Probably just a report on the meteorite that hit this morning. It could wait." Spiegel threw away his pair of twos and stood. "No, it's alright. I've lost enough money as it is. Feel free to stay and play, gentlemen. Come along, Wilkes." The smell of leather was overwhelming in Lady Elizabeth's nostrils. She tried to bite into the gloved hand that covered her mouth, but the cloaked assassin held her mouth shut too firmly for her to even move her jaw. Fear paralysed the rest of her body from taking action. His slow, measured breath was hot on her ear as they waited silently in the shadows for… something. Her mind was racing with the terrible possibilities of what her attacker might do to her, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't want to die! "I can feel your fear," the assassin whispered in her ear, hot breath multiplied tenfold with the added words. "Your father robbed my betrothed *and* her family of the chance to even feel the fear of death. She didn't even get the chance to scream, and neither will you. Ignorance is no excuse for a crime. You *will* die for what your father did, mark my word." Lady Elizabeth passed out. The cloaked figure let her drop to the floor and started preparing her for transport. Landreth would live again "Poor Pitney," Spiegel said. "How serious could this situation get, Doctor?" "Well…" the Doctor said, sitting up a little straighter in his seat. He shrugged a little. "Death, chaos, ruin; the usual fare when dealing with hostile alien life forms." He grinned. It kind of annoyed Spiegel. "If Pitney's any marker, then it could indeed get very serious, sir," Drake offered. "How so?" Wilkes inquired. The Doctor rubbed his throat. "His bite is definitely worse than his bark." Drake rolled his eyes. "A few seconds longer and the Doctor would not be sitting here." Spiegel stood up from behind his desk and looked out the bay window at the scenic Eudoran landscape. "Obviously the safety of our guests comes first. I'll get in touch with the President, inform him of our situation. Colonel Wilkes, we should go into lockdown mode; no one comes in, no one goes out." "Are you sure that's wise?" the Doctor asked. "Wouldn't want to worry the guests." "True, true. We'll cancel all shuttles. Blame it on solar flares. Doctor, I do hope you'll stay on and continue to assist Sergeant Drake in investigating the situation at hand. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, there is work to be done." Spiegel showed the Doctor and Drake out of his office, shut the door, and let out a sigh. "I don't like it, Wilkes. I don't like it at all." "What do you want done about Pitney?" "It's not Pitney anymore. Take care of it." "And Drake and that Doctor chap?" "Keep an eye on them. Let them lead us to the answers, then we'll take the credit. But don't let them get too close. We have our own skeletons in this that need to stay buried." "Right." Wilkes clicked his heels together and saluted Spiegel. The CEO dropped down into his chair. He just wanted to play some poker. "Let me go!" Adric shouted, trying to pull away from the security guard. "I didn't do anything wrong! You should be trying to find the man who attacked Lady Elizabeth!" "Look, kid," the security guard said gruffly, tightening her grip on Adric's wrist, "there wasn't anyone there. Now stop struggling or I'll charge you with resisting arrest too!" "But Lady Elizabeth is in danger!" "Shut your yap, kid!" Suddenly the lights in the security offices shut off, replaced by the red glow of emergency lights. A shrill alarm filled the air, and the security offices burst into action. "Fire in Sector 4G!" someone shouted. "The infirmary!" The security guard hauling Adric to a cell let go of him and ran off to fight the fire. Adric followed her. Where there's smoke, Adric thought, there's the Doctor. The Doctor put an arm up to shield his eyes from the intense light of the fire. There was nothing but a solid wall of flame behind the fire doors meant to keep patients inside the infirmary safe until they could be evacuated. Pitney's horrific screams of pain mingled with the crackling of the fire, and the smell of burning wood and flesh crept out through the ventilation shaft. Drake started for the doors in an instinctual move to save his friend and colleague, but the Doctor held him back. After struggling for a moment or two, Drake resigned himself to standing by and letting the fire brigade do its work to a chorus of Pitney's screams. Several corridors over, the meteorites in the lost and found room screamed with him. }}